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7 Day All-inclusive Italy Luxury Culinary Vacation in Beautiful Roman Countryside
La Cucina Sabina, Strada Provinciale Pascolare 164, Palombara Sabina, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Luxury Cooking Holiday near the Mountains North of Rome, Italy
La Cucina Sabina hosts a luxury culinary and cultural vacation program at a private, modern villa. La Cucina Sabina combines food, culture, exclusive excursions, and fun into an experience of a lifetime! You will enjoy access to places and people you would never find on your own. This creates a unique experience that is unforgettable. When you depart after a week of the hospitality, you all feel like you got to know the “real Italy” and their people and culture.
Meet the instructors
Barbara
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Highlights
- Authentic Italian cooking lessons
- Winery visit and a tasting overlooking beautiful Lake Bolsena
- Olive oils tasting and lesson on understanding what makes an olive oil great
- A guided tour of the beautiful gardens of Villa d'Este
- Visit to places not normally seen by tourists
- Airport, hotel, or train station transfers
- 6 nights accommodation
- 3 daily tasty meals
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French, Italian
Group size: Maximum of 16 participants
Airport transfer included:
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
Airport transfer included:
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Accommodation
Facilities
- Sauna
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Free Wi-Fi
- Patio
The villa is a part of La Cucina Sabina. It is best described as a luxurious country home which sits on a 150-acre estate surrounded by olive and cherry orchards. Located in the tranquil Sabine hills, at the foothills of the Lucretelli Mountain range, La Cucina Sabina is near enough to Rome to enjoy rich culture, yet far enough to be an oasis of peacefulness and beauty. An inspiring work of architecture, the three-story villa combines the clean lines of Frank Lloyd Wright with classic Italian architecture, bringing in amazing vistas through the floor to ceiling glass, of the beautiful surrounding mountains, gardens, and pool.
The villa underwent a major renovation and refurbishment in 2015. It boasts a state of the art demonstration kitchen, impressive art collection, baby grand piano, salt water pool, sauna, rose garden, outdoor pizza oven, eight bedrooms (all with en-suite bathrooms), nine bathrooms, tennis court, and nighttime vistas of lighted hilltop castles. This resort provides a guest washer/dryer, free high speed WiFi and hairdryers in each room.
Each bedroom has custom made American king-sized beds that also can divide into twins, large closets, TVs, free Wi-Fi, and premium olive oil based toiletries. Two upstairs suites include balconies with sweeping vistas, large soaking tubs, and separate showers. All upstairs rooms provide views of mountains, hills, and countryside. Ground floor rooms have direct garden access and a shared patio. The villa is near a local train that runs directly into Rome throughout the day.
Garden view room
Garden view room is a ground floor bedroom with a private bathroom and shared external patio.
Mountain view room
Mountain view room is an upstairs bedroom with private bath. It has views of hills, mountains, olive groves, and lighted hilltop castles at night.
Mountain view suite
Mountain view suite is an upstairs suite with balcony and extra large private bath with separate shower and soaking tub. It has panoramic views of hills, mountains, countryside, and sunrise / sunset.
Program
Overview
Cooking focuses on authentic plus contemporary Italian cuisine, taught by the professional chef who trained in a Michelin three-star restaurant, as well as a local Nonna for pizza. La Cucina Sabina teaches regional recipes using only the freshest, seasonal and authentic farm-to-table ingredients including antipasti (appetizers), fresh pasta, sauces, risotto, vegetarian dishes, meats and seafood dishes, cooking pizza on our outdoor oven, dolci (desserts), and gelato, etc. Not keen on too much cooking? Don’t worry, the lessons are only part of what La Cucina Sabina offers and are completely optional with plenty of ways to relax and enjoy your time. Transfers are provided to and from Rome’s airport and the main train stations to the villa in Sabina, minutes from Rome. Check-in is on Sunday afternoon with check-out on the following Saturday morning.
Itinerary
Sunday, day 1
On your arrival, La Cucina Sabina provides transfers and pick you up at Rome’s main airport, train station, or city hotel. Once you arrive at the villa, you check in, get comfortable and relax in the spacious villa or well-maintained gardens and grounds. A light buffet lunch and Prosecco are served with the afternoon left open to relax and enjoy your fellow guests or enjoy a refreshing swim or sauna. In the evening, the delicious four-course welcome dinner with professional waiter service is served on the sunset terrace (weather permitting) overlooking the olive groves and beautiful hills and mountains. You will discuss the exciting week ahead.
Monday, day 2
You begin each morning with a full buffet breakfast in the formal dining room or under one of the covered outdoor terraces overlooking the pool, olive trees hillsides, and mountains. The first cooking lesson begins in the mid-morning with the professional chef. Because La Cucina Sabina is hands-on, you will be preparing your lunch that you will enjoy. In the late afternoon, you head to Castello Savelli, a medieval castle in the hilltop town of Palombara Sabina, a short drive from the villa.
You will enjoy a private tour of the castle and museum with ancient statues and then a sunset prosecco reception overlooking the Sabine Hills and valley. This is a rare opportunity to visit the castle and museum which is not normally open to the public and experience the same stunning views of Sabina that Margaret Thatcher and her husband saw on their many visits to their "secret getaway". A four-course private dinner is a few steps down the cobblestone path to the old Tavern Ristorante.
Tuesday, day 3
After a buffet breakfast, you visit the ancient hilltop town of Tivoli for a guided tour of the beautiful gardens of Villa d'Este, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you will be amazed at the Renaissance villa, gardens, and fountains. The Renaissance gardens stood as a model for others throughout Europe to follow. Along the way, you will visit the morning farmers market as the locals do. After lunch at a historic restaurant in Tivoli, overlooking an ancient Roman temple, you return to La Cucina Sabina for your afternoon lesson with the professional chef, followed by dinner on the sunset terrace overlooking the olive groves and Monte Serrate. (weather permitting)
Wednesday, day 4
Following your buffet breakfast, you depart for “Discover the Secrets of Ancient Rome” tour. In a special, guided tour of the city, you visit places not normally seen by tourists, making your visit very special and unique. Experience the Rome that the locals know, with a rare combination of art, food, culture, and history in a very full day experiencing "la dolce vita”. Both lunch and dinner will be enjoyed in Rome. During the afternoon, the tour continues or optional free time is available for shopping or independent touring. A four-course dinner is enjoyed on a private rooftop apartment hosted by local Italians and overlooking the beautiful skyline with its magical sunset.
Thursday, day 5
After breakfast, you enjoy a scenic drive through the foothills of northern Lazio toward Umbria for a winery visit and a tasting at the family-owned Mazziotti winery overlooking beautiful Lake Bolsena, followed by lunch with the winery owners in their private tasting room. To complement the winery, you stroll through the wonderful hilltop Umbrian town of Orvieto, with its dramatic vistas, medieval walls, Etruscan ruins, shops and cathedral. This town dates back all the way back to ancient Etruscan times. In the evening, you have your pizza lesson and dinner at the villa where you will learn how to make pizza using the authentic outdoor wood burning oven.
Friday, day 6
Begin the day by enjoying a delicious homemade breakfast. Since the estate produces its own DOP extra virgin olive oil, you will visit the olive grove and local mill. As part of the visit, you learn what the Romans knew about growing olives 2000 years ago as well as the modern Italian methods of producing some of the best olive oil in the world. You return to the villa and enjoy a tasting of olive oils and lesson on understanding what makes an olive oil great. After some R & R, you begin your fourth lesson with your chef. You use all your skills learned during the week for your big grand finale five-course dinner, cooking everything from antipasto to dolce!
Saturday, day 7
After a light breakfast and goodbyes, transfers are provided to Rome's airports, hotels, or train station for return trips or extended travel in Italy.
Note: During your stay, La Cucina Sabina is happy to make available one of Rome’s fine tailors to make you custom clothing that’s both stylish and great fitting.
Included excursions
- Tour a medieval castle with sunset Aperitivo followed by catered dinner in the castle
- Winery tour in Umbria including lunch with owners
- Tour the lovely Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto
- Visit to the beautiful town of Tivoli, its Renaissance gardens with lunch next to an encounter Roman Temple
- 3/4 day tour of Rome as a local sees it with rooftop Aperitivo dinner including panoramic vistas of Rome
- Olive grove and mill tour with lesson on distinguishing and grading olive oils
Instructors
Barbara Borasio
Barbara is young and dynamic, a true volcano of ideas. She is already an accomplished creative culinary talent. After a long period of practice, she has become a teacher in the most famous Italian cooking school, Il Gambero Rosso, and now collaborates with La Cucina Sabina offering the guests cooking lessons that are always creative original and fun.
Location
This holiday will take place in Palombara Sabina, Italy. It's a quiet rural area, located just thirty minutes away from Rome.
Nearby places
- Farfa Abbey - 30 minutes
- Monterotondo - 10 minutes
- Monti Lucretili Regional Natural Park - 30 minutes
- Mount Terminillo - 1 hour 30 minutes
- Nazzano Regional Natural Reserve - 40 minutes
- Palombara Sabina - 10 minutes
- Rome - 35 minutes
- Sanctuary of Santa Maria in Vescovio - 40 minutes
- Tivoli - 30 minutes
- Train station of Pianabella di Montelibretti - 3 minutes
Features
Activities
- Sauna
- Swimming
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
General
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Patio
Services
- Free toiletries
- Free Wi-Fi
Food
You will be served breakfasts, lunches, dinners. An honor bar is available for cocktails.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Lactose Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
While La Cucina Sabina has put together a full schedule, there's plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company, have an optional massage, stroll the gardens, and olive or cherry groves, swim in the Olympic sized pool, enjoy the sauna, or just sip a glass of wine poolside or on one of the many terraces. While you are not fast paced, La Cucina Sabina does offer a full agenda.
Spa treatments
This boutique resort boasts an Olympic pool, dry sauna, tennis court and professional massage therapy on site. Each room has Tuscan olive oil based soaps, lotions and other bath amenities. Two rooms include soaking tubs in addition to showers. All rooms include custom monogrammed plush robes.
What's included
- 4 hands-on Italian cooking lessons
- Culinary and cultural excursions
- 6 nights’ accommodation
- All meals, including wine, coffee and tea
- Transfers to and from Rome Airport and the main train stations
- Meals during excursions
What's not included
- Flights
- Train travels
- Travel insurance
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CIA
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
34 km
Transfer included
FCO
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
48 km
Transfer included
Driving directions from Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
- Go towards Rome.
- On the road to Rome, take the exit for Firenze and follow the signs for Via Salaria (SS 4).
- Take the exit for Via Salaria (SS 4) heading for Rieti.
- Continue until kilometer 29 of the Via Salaria and turn right towards Palombara Sabina.
- Continue along that road until kilometer three, where you will find Resort Gran Paradiso.
- Take the private road to Resort Gran Paradiso.
- Villa La Tartaruga is right next to Resort Gran Paradiso.
Driving directions from Rome City center
- Take Via Salaria (SS 4) heading for Rieti.
- Continue until kilometer 29 of the Via Salaria and turn right towards Palombara Sabina.
- Continue along that road until kilometer three, where you will find Resort Gran Paradiso.
- Take the private road to Resort Gran Paradiso.
- Villa La Tartaruga is right next to Resort Gran Paradiso.
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at either Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport (FCO) or Ciampino - G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA). Transfer from and to the airport is included. La Cucina Sabina will pick you up from the airport.
Arrival by train
From Leonardo Da Vinci (Fiumicino) airport's railway station, get the train to Fara Sabina. Get off at Pianabella di Montelibretti station, from there drive along Strada Provinciale Pascolare aka Strada Della Neve (SP 35/d) towards Palombara Sabina. Continue until KM 3, where you will find “Resort Gran Paradiso”. Take the private road for “Resort Gran Paradiso”. La Cucina Sabina is next door (sliding brown gate).
Take the subway B line (linea B) to Rebibbia and get off at Tiburtina. Get the train to Fara Sabina coming from Fiumicino. Get off at Pianabella di Montelibretti station, from there drive along Strada Provinciale Pascolare aka Strada Della Neve (SP 35/d) towards Palombara Sabina. Continue until km 3, where you will find “Resort Gran Paradiso”. Take the private road for “Resort Gran Paradiso”. La Cucina Sabina is next door (sliding brown gate).
Get the train to Fara Sabina coming from Fiumicino. Get off at Pianabella di Montelibretti station, from there drive along Strada Provinciale Pascolare aka Strada Della Neve (SP 35/d) towards Palombara Sabina. Continue until KM 3, where you will find “Resort Gran Paradiso”. Take the private road for “Resort Gran Paradiso”. La Cucina Sabina is next door (sliding brown gate).
Airport: Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
Airport transfer included: Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Airport transfer included: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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